Adaline refused when Altezza insisted she accompany him to the office because, aside from Tessa and Duncan, no one else knew they were already married. And Adaline intended to keep it that way. The only office personnel aware of their marriage were the board of directors and Altezza's work partners. They had also been instructed not to spread the information because Altezza didn't want Adaline to be treated differently by her colleagues. That was the reason Altezza's assistant, Duncan, presented when he distributed the wedding invitations.
But no matter how strongly Adaline resisted, Altezza wouldn't give in.
"Go to the office with me or be driven by the chauffeur. Those are your only options, Mrs. Quirino. Because I don't want my wife to take public transportation again, no matter what the reason," Altezza asserted, causing Adaline's courage to falter instantly. Not wanting to cause trouble, Adaline chose to go with the chauffeur, with the option to drop off a bit away from the office, or if anyone asked, she would say she took an online taxi.
Tessa was already seated elegantly at her desk, with both arms folded across her chest and narrowed eyes. "Well, well, well, how are you, Mrs. Q?" She said with a sarcastic tone. Adaline ignored her and opted to place her bag under the desk before turning on her computer.
Tessa slid her chair until she was beside Adaline, placing her elbow on Adaline's desk and resting her head on it.
"So, how was your first night with Mr. Q?" She whispered.
"What do you mean?" Adaline tried to ignore her friend.
"Oh, come on, don't be stingy with information," Tessa nudged Adaline's upper arm. "Tell me, was he 'great' or 'fierce'? How many rounds did you two go at it last night?" Her voice was just a whisper but sounded clear because her lips were so close to Adaline's ear.
"Tessa!" Adaline snapped. "Don't talk like that. Get to work!" Adaline spun Tessa's chair and pushed her friend's chair back to its rightful place.
"Oh, come on, Ada. Don't be shy with me. You know I'm a good listener. And I'm so ready to hear your story," she urged again, still in a whisper. "Didn't you skip work yesterday because he made it hard for you to walk after pounding you all night?" Tessa teased, her eyebrows raising and lowering mischievously, her gaze playful.
"Tessa, watch your mouth!" Adaline hissed, feeling incredibly embarrassed by her friend's question. She chose to return to her desk. When Tessa moved her chair again, Adaline glared.
"If you ask one more time, I won't talk to you for the rest of my life," Adaline threatened, met with a pleading gaze from Tessa. The girl pouted with her puppy eyes, but Adaline paid her no mind.
Two weeks passed without much significance. They went through their days like strangers living in the same house. Their daily activities were just work and helping each other with household chores - mostly dominated by Adaline since Altezza spent most of his time working. They spent weekends visiting their parents alternately.
Adaline could hardly be said to meet Altezza often. He was so busy that he was hardly ever seen. He worked out of town for a day or two, and when he was home, he remained hidden in his workspace until midnight. Adaline knew this because occasionally, she would see the light in his room or workspace still on.
Antony's wedding required them to prepare and stay in Kansas. This was something Adaline had been avoiding, because while in Altezza's Manhattan apartment they still had personal boundaries with separate bedrooms, in Kansas they had to sleep in the same room, making Adaline feel nervous, scared, and uncomfortable.
Just like when they attended the engagement party, this time they left right after work on Friday evening, but instead of going straight to the apartment, they went directly to Antony's house.
Chaos filled the house when they arrived at nine in the evening. Unlike the engagement, this time Antony's relatives from his mother's side seemed to gather there. Not a lot of them, but it still made Antony's residence bustling and lively.
"I changed my mind, I was planning to stay here but it seems we'll sleep in our apartment instead," Altezza whispered as they reached the front door.
"Look, the newlyweds," exclaimed a middle-aged woman whose face resembled Mrs. Brianna's but looked older.
Whether they liked it or not, Altezza and Adaline greeted Antony's relatives out of courtesy.
"How's it going? Any signs of pregnancy yet?" asked another woman.
"Not yet, Auntie, just pray for it to happen soon," Altezza replied candidly.
Mrs. Brianna appeared shortly after. Adaline and Altezza greeted her. "Had dinner yet?" asked the middle-aged woman with concern.
"Actually, not yet, aunty," Altezza admitted.
"Come on, join us, we're making delicious beef meatballs," Brianna Quirino said as she hugged Adaline and led her to the kitchen.
"Where's Mamma and Padre?" Altezza asked when he didn't see his parents.
"They opted to stay at the hotel. Same goes for Gian, Letizia, and their parents. Tomorrow morning, we'll all meet at the location," Brianna replied as she scooped meatballs into a bowl and poured the sauce. "Are you staying here?"
Altezza shook his head. "We'll just sleep at the apartment," Altezza politely declined. "Where's Antony?"
"In his office, talking to his father," Brianna answered with a warm smile.
"Hmmm..." Altezza hummed as he chewed on the meat. "Madam? Make me meatballs like this next time," he whispered to Adaline, who was also eating meatballs. Adaline just nodded, agreeing without a word.
After eating and chatting for a while, they returned to the apartment around half past ten at night. Adaline had yawned several times during the journey, but she tried to fight off sleep because she didn't want a repeat of what happened before, causing Altezza the trouble of carrying her while she slept.
Adaline was truly exhausted, and it seemed Altezza was too. "Are you alright?" Adaline asked shortly after they entered the apartment.
"Why?"
"Your face looks pale. Are you feeling sick?" she inquired, observing Altezza's face carefully. Altezza responded to his wife's question with a smile, and then without warning, he pinched both of Adaline's cheeks affectionately. "Ow." Adaline swatted away his hands, unsure if it was because his hands were cold or her cheeks were cold, but it was clear his hands felt warm. "I'm asking sincerely. Are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Madam. Just a slight headache, maybe because I haven't slept much these past few days. And I stayed up late last night too," he replied with a lopsided smile that made him look even more handsome.
"Can I make you something?" Adaline offered. The man shook his head slowly.
"No need, I'll just sleep it off, it'll be better in the morning. Tonight, if you allow me, I'd like to sleep in the bedroom, okay? I promise I won't do anything untoward to you," he said with a playful tone that made Adaline feel embarrassed.
Adaline masked her nervousness with a pout and then walked into the only bedroom in the apartment. Altezza followed her from behind.
The man immediately lay down and wrapped himself in the blanket. Meanwhile, Adaline cleaned up first and changed into her favorite unicorn-patterned cotton pajamas.
Adaline slept beside Altezza. This was the second time they slept together since their wedding day.
Nervous? Of course, Adaline's heart was pounding intensely.
For the first time in her life, Adaline found herself physically close to a man other than her father, and honestly, it felt strange to her. However, she was too tired to worry about whether Altezza might do something inappropriate to her. Instead, they both fell asleep immediately and even forgot to say goodnight.
Adaline woke up feeling a sensation of warmth on her body. She intended to adjust the AC temperature, so she moved to lift her blanket to find the remote but something held her back.
It was Altezza, who was moving closer to her body. "Cold," he murmured with his eyes closed. His hand tightly embraced Adaline's stomach as she lay on her back. His warm breath brushed against Adaline's head. With her free left hand, Adaline felt his forehead and indeed, Altezza's body felt hot.
"Sir?" Adaline turned to him, their faces so close, she tried to wake Altezza up. "Sir? Are you alright?" she asked in a panic.
Altezza slowly opened his eyes and looked down at Adaline. Their eyes met. "Honey, Madam," he corrected.